Poor-Road, Cross-Border Motorhomes

Of all the motorhomes available, which are suitable for driving around the world, taking with you everything you own?

Motorhome Heaven’s starting point is deceptively simple and, as always, the devil is in the detail. This innocent question leads to so many more, it’s almost insane…

What type of vehicle?

Truck chassis or car-like?

Front-wheel or rear-wheel drive?

Left-hand or right-hand drive?

Fifth wheel?

What licenses will you need: car, truck, heavy vehicle or light?

Vehicle warranties? Base vehicle service centre networks?

What floor layout? Fold-down bed? or fixed? What size kitchen?

How much water should you carry? What about “grey” and “black” water capacity?

Do you buy and ship? Or fly and buy? How do you get a vehicle across a border, let alone an ocean?

Would it be cheaper to engage in serial one-way rentals, changing vehicles at national borders?

And, finally, insurance? Is it even possible to insure a motorhome on a world tour?

Why all these questions? Well, we live in New Zealand so we can’t just drive across the border – you might be beginning to see the size of the challenge… but rest assured, the questions, and their answers, apply no matter your starting point.

Fascination 1 : Knowledge 0

If you’re like us, you’ve always been fascinated by the idea of carrying everything you own with you and travelling wherever and stopping whenever you want. Modern gypsies.

The trouble is, being fascinated and being knowledgeable are not the same thing. Truth be told, in terms of motorhomes, for us they are so far apart it’s embarrassing. You see, our dream is to pack everything we own into our “house-on-a-truck” and just start driving. Only problem is, we have no vehicle and really no idea where to start. And it quickly became apparent that, as for true gypsies, national borders are the problem…

The solution? Put this fascination to the test and plan an around-the-world journey by motorhome! Where to begin? Well, a motor home would be nice! But which one?

It all started when… One day, we were casually looking at motorhomes, came across a Traillite Landmark and thought, “We could live in that!” Seemed like a good idea at the time…

Then we realised just how little we knew about recreational vehicles and everything that went with them. So we started from scratch and this site is a record of that research and, once we depart, will become our peregrination journal.

We are Stephen and Monia, inveterate travellers and avid readers. Join us as we research our way to departure day!

Why a Motorhome?

Some years back we took the children on a cruise in the South Pacific and really liked the fact that we could just “unpack once”. No airports to worry about or connecting flights to miss, no excess baggage on account of all the souvenirs bought here and there, no odd socks with their mate left behind in the motel bathroom…

But cruises cover oceans and we wanted to see things… flights are even worse. What we needed was the means to undertake an “overland cruise”. And motorhomes provide the solution.

Aren’t Motorhomes, Recreational Vehicles and Campervans for Holidays?

Well, yes, they are. Mostly. You fly to your destination, missing all the country(ies) in between; rent a camper van or recreational vehicle at the airport; “unpack once”; do your holiday, returning the van at the end; experience excess baggage fees, airports and flight schedules; and fly home. That is not what we wanted and, probably not what you want either…

People have travelled the world in a camping car. Certainly a possibility but we’re getting on – and by the time we leave will have “gotten on” a bit more – so “camping” in any state is not that attractive anymore. In any case, where would we put all our books?

Researching our way to Departure Day…

Are you dreaming the same dream? Asking the same questions? Even answered some?

Join us in our pre-travel research, accept our invitation to contribute your ideas and experience and let us help you with this somewhat monumental undertaking.